Rules of Engagement
by Taurus II
Summary: Takes place between chapters 20 & 21 of GW: The Third Beat. Heero x Relena, please Read & Review.
1. Chapter 1

**Rules of Engagement**

Brussels Presidential Residence, February 13th, After Colony 206, 0742 hours

"Hm? Heero, why aren't you in uniform? I know you don't like wearing suits," Relena continued, "but people expect you to at least be in uniform."

"I'm taking the day off." Heero was wearing jeans, a long-sleeved shirt... and a shoulder holster.

"What? Why?" Relena asked in surprise.

"I've got some unofficial business to take care of," he said. Seeing the look on Relena's face, he quickly added, "Don't worry; no one is going to be killed. Nor is anything going to be blown up. And relax. I'll only be gone for the day, and I handpicked my substitute. You'll be fine."

"Well, okay," Relena sighed, somewhat mollified.

"See you later, then," Heero said, taking his leather jacket from its hook on the wall by the door, and he walked out the door.

_All That Glitters, Glints, & Gleams_ Jewelry Shop, Brussels, approximately 0800 hours

Johann Schmidt, proprietor of _All That Glitters, Glints, & Gleams_, was a little surprised to see a man in jeans and a leather jacket loitering outside his shop when he arrived to open for the day. The man was tough looking and didn't seem to be affected by the cold, in spite of his relatively light clothing. The man said nothing while Schmidt opened up the shop, but once it was open, he came inside and began to browse through the shop, eventually ending up over by the display of rings.

Nervously, Schmidt approached and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir. May I help you?"

The man looked up. "Yes, actually. Could you tell me what size that ring is?" He pointed to one of the women's rings. It was a graceful platinum affair, elegant in its simplicity, and set with three stones: a central diamond, and flanking it on either side, two pearls. It also happened to be the most expensive ring in the display.

"Uh, it's a size eight, sir," Schmidt said, "but are you certain you can afford it? It's quite expensive. If it's too much, we have some similar items in silver..." Schmidt trailed off.

After a moment's pause, the man said, "No, I'll take that one. It's perfect."

"Of course, sir." Schmidt took out his key, unlocked the display case, and opened it. "Will you be paying by check, credit, or --" Schmidt broke off abruptly, for as the man had reached inside his jacket, Schmidt had glimpsed a pistol worn in a shoulder holster. But the man's hand was only going to his inside pocket, from which he produced a wallet. Schmidt let out the breath he had been holding unconsciously. "-- or debit," he finished, wondering, _Some sort of cop? But how could a cop afford a ring like this?_ As those thoughts passed through his mind, the man flipped open his wallet and held it up for Schmidt to see the military identification card.

"Colonel Heero Yuy, Security Section, Preventer Corps. I am requisitioning this ring in order to preserve the security of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. The government will reimburse you later," Colonel Heero Yuy said curtly.

Schmidt blinked. Twice. "... Sorry?"

"I am Colonel Heero Yuy, Security Section, Preventer Corps. I am requisitioning this ring in order to preserve the security of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. The government will reimburse you later," Heero repeated, a hint of impatience entering his voice. After a pause, he added, "You have the President's thanks."

"Are you serious? You can't be serious," Schmidt said in disbelief.

"Believe me, I am." Heero lowered his wallet.

"Might I ask _how_ this ring is supposed to 'preserve the security' of the World Nation?" Schmidt asked sarcastically, reaching for the ring.

"You might," Heero answered shortly, "but I would be unable to tell you."

Schmidt sighed. "Fine, whatever." He took the ring from the display, closed the display case, and walked over to the cash register, Heero following close behind. He put the ring in a box and typed some things into the register. Then he looked up. "What should I put in for 'payment received'?"

Heero asked, "Is your register connected to the 'Net? Does it have a vocal pickup?"

"Of course."

"Then, for payment received, use the pickup to enter 'Colonel Heero Yuy Sierra-Echo-Charlie-Papa-Charlie Requisition Protocol Romeo-Echo-Quebec-Zero-Zero-Five'. After that, it should ask for my authentication code."

Schmidt repeated the code into the pickup, then looked up again. "Well?"

Taking his Preventer Corps ID card from his wallet, Heero swiped it through the slot for credit & debit cards. Schmidt looked at the screen, nodded, and handed Heero the box. "Here you are, Colonel."

"Thank you," Heero said, taking it and stowing it somewhere on his person, and with that, he left the shop.

About half an hour later, as he was sitting in a cafe drinking coffee, Heero's cell phone rang. "Hello?" he said, taking it out.

It was Lady Une. "Colonel Yuy, do you know why one Johann Schmidt, owner of _All That Glitters, Glints, & Gleams _Jewelry Shop, called the Corps earlier this morning to complain about an abuse of requisition authority?"

"The possibility exists," Heero admitted.

"I want you in my office, Colonel. _Now_," Lady Une said, and hung up.

"So," Lady Une said, sitting behind her desk. Heero was standing in front of her. Her voice was cold, and she did not invite him to sit.

"So," she repeated. "I'll get to the point. Mr. Schmidt claims that you entered his shop this morning and requisitioned a ring, saying that he was doing so 'in order to preserve the security' of the World Nation. Given the facts that the individual in question had knowledge of the correct protocols and your ID, that the Corps received requisition codes during the timeframe in question, and that our sensors detected the ring in your possession, we know with certainty that it was you. Mr. Schmidt claims that your exercise of requisition authority in this case was an abuse, and I am inclined to agree. Would you care to explain yourself, Colonel?"

Heero stood, unperturbed. "Yes, Commander. I exercised my requisition authority to obtain an item important to the security of the World Nation. More precisely, to the security of the President."

"Really," Lady Une said, her voice, though still cold, was tinged with a hint of amusement. "And can you explain to me how this ring is crucial to the preservation of Relena's security?"

"Enhancement might be a better word," Heero amended, and his voice became softer. "I... I am planning on proposing to her tomorrow," he said. "This will, of course, require my removal from my post as her personal bodyguard. However, whoever my replacement would be would have to be highly skilled, and with me remaining by her side, albeit in a slightly different role, her security would be greatly enhanced, and at little cost. I felt that these ramifications justified my exercise of requisition authority."

"And this minimal cost would be the price of this ring?" Lady Une asked, unable to keep a slight smile from her face.

"Yes," Heero said, his voice still soft. Then, clearing his throat, he added, "Ma'am."

Lady Une shook her head, amused. "Heero Yuy, you are a truly unique individual. Very well, we'll pick up your tab this time."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Just a couple more things, and then you can go. One, if you try to pay for the wedding using the same trick, it will backfire. Two, may I see the ring?"

Frowning slightly in puzzlement, Heero withdrew the box from his pocket and handed it to her. Une opened the box, looked at the ring, and nodded to herself.

"As I thought," she said. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Looking up at him, she said, "It's a beautiful ring, Heero, but I'm afraid you've overlooked a fairly important point."

Heero said nothing, but raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

Lady Une gave a little laugh. "Heero, if you propose to Relena with this ring, you'll have to find an even better one to marry her with!"

Heero's face cleared. "I see," he said. After a moment's thought, he nodded abruptly. "Then I should return this and get a cheaper one. That is what you're telling me, is it not?"

"You don't have to return this one," Une said, handing it back to him. "Just get another one--which the Corps will _not_ be paying for--and hold onto this one for the wedding. And now, I'm late for a Cabinet meeting. Dismissed."

"Thank you, Ma'am." Heero turned and left the office.

_Aagh! Why does he have to do that so slowly?_ Relena thought irritatedly at her bodyguard, who was surveying the building's large entry hall. _It never takes _Heero _this long... Oh, I'm sure he's just being careful, but it's just so different from what I'm used to..._ Relena scowled as the bodyguard led her down a hallway to a door flanked by two guards of the Presidential Security Detachment (Colonel Heero Yuy commanding). Her bodyguard-for-the-day preceded her into the meeting room and paused right in the doorway, blocking it. _Heero is so much more unobtrusive, too... Aagh! Stop it, Relena! He can't help not being Heero! _As she finished that thought, he moved aside, allowing her to brush past him. The door closed, and he took a position standing next to it.

"Commander Une sent word ahead that she'd be late," Relena's chief of staff said as Relena took her seat. "She said not to wait for her, so let's start with the Department of Education. Anything we need to know, Bill?"

"Well, we've gotten a few complaints about the new sexual education package we put into place last year, but nothing too major. We're seeing a drop in teen pregnancies, but the program is so new that we can't be sure if we're seeing one of the results we hoped for or just a statistical fluctuation. Also, we..."

_All That Glitters, Glints, & Gleams_ Jewelry Shop, Brussels, 0912 hours

Johann Schmidt looked up as the bell on the door tinkled, indicating the presence of a customer. His face fell when he recognized Colonel Heero Yuy. _Oh, God, not this lunatic again..._ He watched as Yuy made a beeline for the display of rings, looking them over. Then Yuy caught sight of him and beckoned him over.

"Don't tell me--the security of the World Nation needs another ring?" Schmidt said sarcastically as he approached.

"No, this is on my own," Yuy said. "I'd like that one," he pointed out a simple silver band.

"Oh?" Schmidt said. "Fine, then." He took the ring out and led the way to the cash register. Heero took out his debit card and swiped it through the mechanism; Schmidt then handed him the ring in a box and a receipt.

"Thank you," Heero said, and left the shop again.

Lady Une arrived at the Cabinet meeting in the middle of the Secretary of Labor's report on the diamond miners' strike in South Africa.

"I'm sorry I'm so late," she apologized. "A disciplinary matter came up that took longer than I anticipated. Please, continue." She took her seat at Relena's left hand.

"As I was saying," the Secretary of Labor began, "we and our mediators are hoping that the matter can be resolved without violence, and we've considered appointing someone to arbitrate--" He broke off at the sound of machinegun fire from outside the room. "What the--?"

Two armed men burst into the room. Lady Une immediately pushed Relena to the ground, dropping down herself.

"Death to you all!" one of the men shouted. Relena's bodyguard-for-the-day drew his pistol and put two rounds through the shouter's neck; the other assassin fired a burst into the bodyguard's gut. Convulsively, the dying guard's trigger finger jerked, sending another round smashing into the man's wrist, causing the assassin to drop his gun. The assassin reached inside his jacket with his good hand and produced a grenade. Pulling out the pin with his teeth, he tossed it over the table to where Lady Une and Relena were crouched.

"Ms. President!" Relena's chief of staff cried, throwing himself bodily on top of the grenade. It exploded, drenching Relena and Une in blood and gore. Aghast, Relena stared at the mangled, unrecognizable remains of her chief of staff's body.

Ignoring the stunned Relena, Lady Une drew her own pistol, peeked up over the table, and shot the assassin between the eyes. He fell to the ground, having contracted a serious case of dead. She stood then and declared, "This meeting is adjourned; we will reconvene at a later date." She pulled Relena to her feet. "And now, Ms. President, you need to get cleaned up... And so do I." She smiled humorlessly; Relena did not respond, but stared emptily into space.

Pagan was quite shocked when he opened the door of the Presidential Residence and saw Relena standing on the doorstep, covered in blood. "Miss Relena! What in the world has happened?" he asked, astonished.

"An assassination attempt, Pagan," she answered mechanically. "I'm going upstairs to shower and change."

"But Miss Relena! You're covered in blood!"

"Tom threw himself on a grenade to save me," Relena explained, her eyes blank. "I'd really like to get out of these clothes, Pagan."

Realizing that she was in shock, Pagan decided to let Heero try to bring her back. "Of course, Miss Relena. Heero should be up there already."

"Oh?"

Relena opened the door. "Heero?" she called.

"Is that you, Relena?" came the reply from the bathroom. "I thought you were in a Cabinet meeting."

As Pagan had hoped, Heero's voice snapped her out of her shock. "Oh, God!" she cried in anguish, dropping to her knees and beginning to sob.

"Relena!" Heero came running. Taking in at a glance the drying blood on her clothes and in her matted hair, he went to one knee beside her and took her by the shoulders. "Relena," he said gently, "what happened?"

"T-two assassins," she sobbed, lifting her head. "They burst into the meeting. My bodyguard--I never even found out his name!--took down one of them, b-but the other one got him in the stomach, and..." Relena took a gulp of air. "... Lady Une had pushed me to the floor, but I was looking over the edge of the table. So then, before he died, the guard shot the second assassin in the wrist of his gun hand, and then the assassin pulled out a grenade, pulled the pin out with his teeth, and lobbed it over the table to where Lady Une and I were... And- and then," she took another deep breath, "then T-tom just leapt on top of the grenade, and it blew up, and blood went everywhere, and his body was in _pieces_!"

"What happened then?" Heero asked softly.

"L-lady Une told me that she shot him in the head, the assassin, I mean, and then pulled me up and brought me here... But I can barely remember anything between Tom being," she swallowed, "blown up, and you answering me! I can't remember how I got here! I sort of remember talking to Pagan downstairs, but..." Relena looked away. "I'm sorry. I'm so weak compared to you. But why are people dying for me? Even people I don't even know?"

Heero's voice, when he spoke, was harder than it had been. "I've told you before, you are not weaker than I am. If anything, I'm weaker than you. But it sounds to me like you're experiencing post-combat trauma. I suggest you take a shower, put on some clean clothes, and relax. I'll have Pagan send up something to drink, all right?" He helped her to her feet.

"All right, Heero. Do you think I should see a psychologist?"

"Only if you can't get past it on your own or with my help. Go take a shower."

"Yes, sir," she said.

Half an hour later, Relena emerged from the bathroom, wearing a bathrobe. Heero was standing with his back to her, looking out the window. It was a break from his usual practice of leaving the room while she dressed, but she supposed that the attack that afternoon had made him even more paranoid than usual. Doing her best to ignore his presence, she went to her wardrobe, selected an outfit, and decided to go back into the bathroom to dress. She re-emerged minutes later and asked, "Incidentally, what were you doing in the bathroom when I came up?"

"I was changing the filters on the gas masks. I keep a pair here in the bedroom, too. I don't trust the ventilation system. Too easy to introduce a poisonous gas and let it circulate." Still he didn't turn around.

"You can look, Heero. I'm decent."

Heero turned around after that and walked over to the bottle of brandy and the glasses sitting on a platter on the table. Interposing his body between Relena and the platter, he poured some brandy into each glass. His left hand hovered over one glass for a moment, a pill held in his fingertips; then, thinking better of it, he palmed the capsule and picked up both glasses. Turning around, he offered the one in his left hand to Relena, who took it and sipped from it.

"So," she asked, "how has your day been so far? Did you get that--what did you call it? 'Unofficial business'? whatever-- did you get it taken care of?"

"... Not quite," Heero answered enigmatically after sipping from his own glass. "There were a few complications."

Relena raised an eyebrow as she took another sip of brandy. "'Complications'?" she echoed. "What kind of complications? Oh, forget it. I don't even know what you were doing that got complicated. I'll change the subject. Lady Une arrived late for the C-cabinet meeting," she got out with barely a stutter. "She said that she had had to deal with some sort of discipline problem. Do you know anything about that?"

_Way to change the subject, Relena,_ Heero thought. Aloud, he said, "Yes."

"Well? As the Commander-in-Chief, don't you think that I ought to know?"

Still, Heero hesitated, and Relena let out a cry of realization.

"Aha! Did the disciplinary thing have anything to do with your 'unofficial business' this morning?"

_Curses._ "It was a question of whether or not a particular officer had abused his requisition authority," Heero said truthfully. Deciding to steer the conversation in a completely different direction, he asked, "Do you have any idea who you're going to make your new chief of staff?"

Relena didn't take just a sip this time, she took a swig. "N-no, I haven't," she said, blinking back tears.

"... Sorry," Heero apologized before returning to business. "All right, now you need to get back into President mode, as I'm sure there are things they need you for. Do you think you can do that? Can you make it through the day?"

"Yes, I think so," Relena said. "Let's go."

Brussels Presidential Residence, Saint Valentine's Day, After Colony 206, 0803 hours

"Well," Relena said over breakfast, "I've been thinking about a new chief of staff. How about Dorothy Catalonia?"

"Her? She's a duchess now. Why would she want to do hard work?"

"Well, you know we've been corresponding by letter," Relena answered. "Some of the things she's written give me the impression that she's looking for something to do with her time."

"Being your chief of staff would certainly do that," Heero observed.

"I'll talk to her later today. In the meantime, did the deputy chief of staff send my schedule over?"

"Yes."

"And you've memorized it already?" Relena asked lightly.

"Yes," Heero responded.

"As I thought. So tell me, what's on today's agenda?"

"Some bill signings, followed by a meeting with Lady Une about the latest Intelligence about what the AMS is doing up in Vulkanus, a press conference about the incident yesterday, and then..." Heero paused.

"Yes?" Relena prompted, smiling.

"After that, you're scheduled to visit the Romefeller Foundation's Valentine's Day Ball in Bremin, for some reason," Heero said.

"Dorothy sent me an invitation with her last letter," Relena said.

"Why?"

"Well, I _am _still a Princess, you know, and technically still a member," she said, "and I just couldn't resist the opportunity to make you wear formal clothing."

Heero scowled at the thought. "Sadist. You know I don't like it," he pointed out.

"But you look so handsome and respectable in formal dress!" Relena countered, now grinning with overt glee.

"Hn," Heero reverted to his old standby monosyllabic grunt.

Some time later, Relena and Heero exited the Brussels Executive Headquarters building and got into her limo.

"God, that was the press conference from hell," Relena heaved a sigh. "I'm beginning to understand why you hate reporters so much, Heero."

"Nosy bastards," Heero agreed. "Can't understand the words 'classified information' or 'need to know only'. Don't know what's good for them."

_Look who's talking, Mr. Self-Detonation,_ Relena thought. "On the other hand," she said, brightening up, "Now we can get ready for the Valentine's Day Ball."

Heero made an expression of resignation.

"Don't worry, Heero," she sighed with fond indulgence. "It'll be fine if you wear what you wore to Milliardo and Noin's wedding."

"Good," Heero said.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Sorry about the wait, but I've got two other stories I've been working on, and they've been eating up my time. I hope you enjoy it, I'm sorry it's so short, and there's going to be another long wait before the next chapter.

**Rules of Engagement, Part II**

Bremin, 1243 hours, Saint Valentine's Day, After Colony 206

"Relena! It's wonderful to see you!" Dorothy Catalonia exclaimed. "You look lovely, and your gentleman companion is quite dapper." She surveyed Relena and Heero with a smile. Relena was wearing a simply cut pale blue gown while Heero stood at her side in a classic black tailcoat over a brocade vest and white tuxedo shirt, with a white ruffle at his neck and white gloves completing the outfit. Dorothy herself wore a red gown, which was rather more ornate than Relena's. Dorothy's expression softened. "I was so sorry to hear about the attack yesterday," she said, "especially your chief of staff. But the important thing is that you are alive and well. So tell me, Relena, how did you justify coming here today?"

"Well, the Foundation still has a great deal of political influence," Relena said, "so the official reason is that I'm 'come a-courting,' as they say."

Dorothy laughed. "And the real reason?"

"I felt like going to party, and I dragged Heero along with me."

"Shirking your Presidential duties, Relena," Dorothy shook her head in mock disappointment. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Why don't we mingle," Relena suggested, "and talk about anything except politics."

"I doubt you'll be quite that lucky," Dorothy said. "You are the President, after all. However, I think we can keep things to the more enjoyable kind of politics." She smirked.

Relena sighed. "I hope so. By the way, your last letter was most unsatisfyingly short of information."

"Oh, yes, that reminds me," the blonde woman replied, her voice filled with wicked glee as only her voice could be filled. "Our new Chief Representative would like to meet with you."

"Why aren't you the Chief Representative, Dorothy?" Heero asked. "Your personality is certainly forceful enough."

"I'm not sure if that was a compliment or an insult," Dorothy said, leading them toward the tables reserved for the more important guests. She answered, "The membership of the Foundation, you may have noticed, consists primarily of middle-aged to old white rich aristocratic men, with the occasional young white rich aristocratic man thrown in for variety. No penniless nobles or white rich aristocratic women need apply, with a pittance of exceptions. This means that the Chief Representative is usually the highest-ranking old white rich aristocratic man. You only got the position, Relena, because virtually everyone expected you to be a mere figurehead controlled by my grandfather. After you left, of course, Treize Kushrenada had charisma in spades, legions of loyal followers, and a well-deserved reputation as a brilliant military commander. Since then, we've gone through a string of forgettable officeholders, and I, as a woman, am unofficially barred from the position." By that time, the three of them were approaching a table of old white rich aristocratic men.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Dorothy said, "I've brought President Darlian to see the Chief Representative." The cluster of aged men parted with a soft murmur to reveal the seated form of Marquis Weyridge.

He had aged in the eleven years since the Eve Wars; a few spots had appeared on his brow, and his hair was now thin and white. Other than that, he was exactly as Relena remembered him.

"Marquis Weyridge! It's such a pleasure to see you again!" she said delightedly, stepping forward.

"Please, Ms. President, call me 'Grandfather,'" he said, his voice, like his eyes, giving no hint of his advancing age. "And what should I call you?" he continued. "'Queen' is out of the question, but I'm not sure that 'Princess' is much better."

"Grandfather, there's no need to be so formal," Relena told him. "Just plain Relena is fine. If anyone must refer to me by a title, Princess Relena will do, since I'm attending as a member."

"Very well, Relena," Weyridge replied, smiling. "Might I have this dance?"

Relena smiled back. "Of course. Just like old times."

As Relena and the marquis headed for the dance floor, Heero took a moment to scan the balconies. His faith in the Romefeller Foundation's security was almost nil—he had, after all, personally penetrated it with ease several times in the past—but having designed its present deployment pattern, he trusted it enough to allow the Presidential Security Detachment fill in the gaps in the Foundation's arrangements. Speaking into the throat mike concealed by the ruffle at his neck, Heero said, "This is Eagle One. All agents report in."

Voices buzzed in his earbug: "Two, in position."

"Three, in position." And so on through many other voices, always the same message. "Give me Dove's location," Heero ordered.

"On the dance floor with Lion." That was Four.

"Good. Keep me informed of any unusual developments. Eagle out." Heero turned and saw Dorothy watching him.

"Walk with me," she said, and led him around the perimeter of the dance floor. "Doing anything for Relena this Valentine's Day?" the blonde asked.

Heero nodded. "This."

Dorothy sighed. "This doesn't count. You're doing it with her, not for her, so it's not the same thing. Same question."

"Yes."

Dorothy's eyes lit up. "Oh? So what is it?"

Heero remained silent and stony-faced.

"C'mon, I won't tell! What is it?"

Heero maintained his silence, but allowed a small smile to cross his face.

Dorothy deflated. "You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"No," Heero confirmed.

"Fine," Dorothy sniffed. "Be that way."

"I will," Heero replied.

When Marquis Weyridge and Relena returned from the dance floor, they found that their table had been deserted. Weyridge eased himself into a chair, and Relena took a seat across from him.

Weyridge looked at her seriously. "Relena, I know you must not want to deal with politics this afternoon, but there is something I must say."

Relena steeled herself, but the old man's words were not unpleasant.

"As you know, the political power of the Foundation has waned considerably. The framers of the Constitution wisely included passages that prohibit us from ever again gaining the kind of power we had during the Eve Wars. We are not prohibited from holding elected office, as your example attests," the old man said, "but never again will we be able to rule from behind the scenes. In the face of these realities, the Foundation has decided to no longer seek to regain the power of feudal lords as it once did. Instead, we now seek to support the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Should you have need of it, Ms. President, you may feel free to call upon us, and we will give you whatever financial aid we can. I believe there are even a few mobile suit component factories out there somewhere we haven't finished converting yet."

"Thank you for your generous offer, Grandfather," Relena said quietly. "I hope I won't need to take you up on it."

"As do I," Weyridge said, equally quietly, "but I felt obligated. After all we went through, to fail now…"

At that moment, Dorothy and Heero returned.

"And where have you two been?" Relena asked. "Heero, neglecting your duty? I could have been attacked, and you would never have known it."

"Actually, the PSD is watching this area like hawks. I most certainly would have known it. And I must say that I doubt you'd be attacked here."

"You would've doubted I'd be attacked in the middle of a Cabinet meeting, too," Relena pointed out. There was a long, uncomfortable silence.

Heero, somewhat uncharacteristically, was the one who broke it. "Dorothy, Relena would like to know if you'd be interested in a position as her chief of staff."

Dorothy looked surprised. Relena's glare, while no match for the ones Heero could produce, was searing.

"I suppose I could," Dorothy said. "I've been trying to find something to do with my time, you know. It's very boring, being an unemployed aristocrat."

Relena let out a breath, and her glare faded. "Thank you, Dorothy. I really appreciate it."

Heero's earbug buzzed. "Sir, Eagle Eleven. There're a group of five men headed your way from the main entrance, and it looks like they smuggled in some air guns. I can't get a clear shot from here, and there're scattered across the floor anyway, so firing at one would alert the rest of them."

"Roger," Heero said. "I'll secure the President. Once I have, open fire. If I fire before she's safe, open fire. If they fire, open fire."

"Roger that, Sir. Good luck."

"Good hunting," Heero replied. He noticed Relena looking at him strangely. "More assassins. PSD spotted them. Marquis Weyridge, is there a private, secure room here on the first floor? I'd really rather not risk going up the stairs," Heero indicated the grand, sweeping, staircase, which was completely devoid of people.

"First floor conference room," Weyridge said. "It's just behind the stairs. The doors locks from the inside, but we keep it open when we're not using it."

"Roger," Heero said, grabbing Relena by the wrist and pulling her along behind him. When they reached the door, he wrenched it open and pushed her inside, turning to survey the crowd behind him. They were becoming agitated; and he saw five men moving toward him through the mass of people. Darting inside himself, Heero slammed the door shut and locked it, praying to anyone who might be listening that the door was bulletproof.

"PSD, this is Eagle One. The President is secure. Open fire," Heero said. Sniper rifles began to fire, and Heero heard the answering paf! of the assassins' air rifles.

In a matter of moments, it was over. "Assassins neutralized, Sir." Heero started to move to open the door and had gotten as far as unlocking it before he thought better of it and deactivated his throat mike. Then, for once, he and Relena were alone. "Relena," Heero said, his voice soft and gentle, his eyes equally so, "this may seem an odd time to tell you, but… I love you."

Relena smiled. "I know, Heero. I love you, too. But you know that."

Heero took a deep breath, reached inside his tailcoat, and withdrew a small black box. He walked to where Relena was standing, knelt, opened the box, and held up the ring for her to see. "Relena," he whispered, "will you marry me?"

Relena stood stock still for a moment, stunned. Recovering and taking a breath of her own, she replied with a smile, "Of course I'll marry you, Heero. I'd begun to think you'd never ask." Heero smiled a small, grateful smile and slipped the ring onto her finger. "Now, stand up," Relena instructed him. Heero did so, and Relena stepped in close, her arms going around him, and kissed him.

Their passionate embrace was spoiled, however, soon after it began. "Oh, my," Dorothy said dryly from the doorway. "If the tabloid reporters could see this..."

"Who was that on the phone, honey?" Lucrezia Noin Peacecraft asked as her husband re-entered Excelsior Squadron's waiting area.

"Relena," Zechs said. Legally, he was Milliardo these days, but "Zechs" was just so much easier to shout out in the middle of combat that everyone called him Zechs anyway, except Relena. "She had extraordinary news which she authorized me to share with you, on the condition that you inform absolutely no reporters."

"What happens if Duo tells a reporter?" Wufei asked.

"Funnily enough, I asked her that exact question. Heero, should Duo divulge the information to a reporter, will personally hunt Duo down and kill Duo in an unspecified but I suspect highly unpleasant manner."

"Yeah, whatever. He'll have to find me first," Duo waved a carefree hand as he lounged on a couch. "So what's the big news?"

"Heero proposed to Relena, and they're going to get married," Zechs said, grinning.

"What!" Noin and Duo chorused, Duo sitting bolt upright. They continued, still in unison, "When did this happen?"

"Today."

"That's so romantic," Noin said.

Duo rolled his eyes. "Figures. He always pretty unoriginal, at least when it came to stuff like this. Anyway, if you'll excuse me, I need to call the pope and make sure Hell's frozen over, or I'll owe Dorothy a million dollars that I don't have."


End file.
